Fire drill at the 459th ARW

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amber Russell
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
Joint Base Andrews, Md --  The 459th Air Refueling Wing implemented a fire drill today to ensure wing members remain prepared and that all fire equipment is in good operating condition in the event of an actual emergency.

Prior to sounding the alarm, Master Sgt. Steven Hensley, emergency program management specialist, with Fran Lujan and Chris Beers of Clark Fire Protection assessed the physical status of the fire alarms for quality assurance throughout the wing. During the fire drill the wing members should stay calm and follow evacuation procedures, such as: securing classified information, leaving out of the nearest exit and taking accountability at the designated location, said MSgt. Hensley.

"Good safety programs are only good if every single one of us participates fully, if we think ahead, if we look out for one another, if we intentionally work to avoid complacency, if we follow technical data, and if we don't take unnecessary risks," said Col. Tim Cahoon, commander of the 459th ARW.

The wing passed the inspection during this fire drill, but did not perform as well during the last drill. When exiting the building, someone must yell, "Fire, fire, fire," while another person calls the fire department to report the activity at their location, said Capt. Aletha Holland, executive officer for the 459th Mission Support Group.

Once at the designated location, all personnel must be present or their location must be known. Master Sgt. Glenmoore Pierre, grounds safety manager of 459th ARW stressed the importance of mindfulness and accountability when it comes to fire prevention and safety.

"Each office should go over the job safety lesson plan annually to discuss safety procedures and policies," said MSgt. Pierre. To ensure safety and the security of classified information, MSgt. Pierre gave these tips: be aware of the location of fire extinguishers and evacuation plans; look out for your wingman; always let someone in your office know your location; secure your workstation and close but do not lock doors.

The fire department does an inspection twice a year, according to Air Force Instruction 32-2001.